Secretary of State, county clerks prepare for 2024 elections

The World, Coos Bay, Ore.
·2 min read

Mar. 6—The Elections Division of the Oregon Secretary of State's Office, the Oregon Association of County Clerks (OACC) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) held a tabletop training exercise earlier this month to coordinate efforts across multiple local, state and federal agencies to prepare for the 2024 elections.

The exercise was attended by elections officials from all 36 of Oregon's counties, representatives from the Oregon Secretary of State's Office, representatives from CISA, and representatives from other state and federal partners, including the FBI and the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.

The goal of the exercise was to expose elections officials to realistic scenarios that may occur during an election. In doing so, elections officials could explore strategies on how best to prepare for and respond to such scenarios and protect Oregon's election infrastructure.

The topics covered included physical security of elections offices, threats to elections administration, the proliferation of misinformation and cybersecurity risks.

The exercise provided a critical opportunity for agencies to collaborate and coordinate their efforts in advance of the 2024 election cycle, according to election officials. With an increased focus on election security from local, state and federal officials, election administrators are increasingly confident in their preparedness.

"2024 will be the most secure election in Oregon's history," Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade said. "I am grateful for the support and partnerships we've built at all levels of government. With their help, we continue to improve our systems and we are better prepared than ever before."

"A vital component to safe and secure elections is the partnership between federal, state, and local election offices," CISA Election Security Advisor Lori Augino said. "Working alongside the OACC, the Oregon Secretary of State's Office, and our many election associates across Oregon to identify best practices and areas for improvement in incident planning, identification, and response to cyber and physical security threats will serve our citizens well."

For more information about how Oregon officials are working to ensure the integrity of elections, visit OregonVotes.gov.